Russia Disowns Soldiers Captured in Eastern Ukraine in May |

The soldiers, Alexander Alexandrov and Yevgeny Yerofeyev, have both insisted that they were on active duty in the Russian military when Ukrainian government forces captured them in the separatist-controlled Luhansk region in May. In a letter to a human rights advocate published by the Gazeta.ru news portal Tuesday night, the Russian Defense Ministry acknowledged that the men had been contract soldiers, but said they had resigned.

"Events connected with their departure from the Russian Federation and their presence on the territory of Ukraine took place after their resignation from military service and have no connection with it," the letter read.